New pierogi factory keeps it traditional

J.M. LESINSKI

OBSERVER Staff Writer

jlesinski@observertoday.com

OBSERVER Photo by J.M. Lesinski
Barbie Crockski Pierogi, located at 12 Howard Street in Silver Creek, opened its doors right before Christmas and business has been rising steadily ever since.

SILVER CREEK — Foodies rejoice, there’s a new shoppe in town, and the name of the game is pierogis.

Barbie Crockski Pierogi, located downtown at 12 Howard St. is selling pierogis by the dozen or half dozen to anyone lucky enough to get to the elusive storefront at the right time.

“When the light’s on, I’m there,” said co-owner of Barbie Crockski Pierogi, Barbara Lancaster, who owns the shop with her husband Mark. The two have been working tirelessly since the storefront’s official opening before Christmas.

“We’ve been in the building since March, but opened our doors a little before Christmas,” said Lancaster. “We were originally at the Broadway Market in Buffalo, but we ran into space issues, and the commute was tough.”

Lancaster, who lives in Westfield, opened Barbie Crockski Pierogi in Silver Creek primarily as a production kitchen.

“There’s no set hours,” said Lancaster. “Our focus is the pierogis. We make them one at a time, all by hand.”

The care and time taken to create each pierogi shows the passion and dedication Lancaster has for her award-winning business. “Our traditional pierogis won ‘Best Traditional Pierogi’ at the Pierogi Festival in Buffalo,” Lancaster commented as well.

“(Because of) the hours, people have been calling us the ‘secret pierogi shoppe,'” said Lancaster. “We’ve been very well-received by Silver Creek, and Dunkirk too surprisingly, people come up just to see us.” With word of mouth seeming to bring the shoppe’s existence to the public eye at an unexpected pace, some customers often stop in expecting a full-fledged restaurant.

“We’re definitely experiencing some growing pains,” said Lancaster of their sudden growth. “Maybe we’ll open the door (next door) eventually, but for now, we’re focusing on the pierogis.” Currently, the storefront only has a cash register and pierogis at the ready, no tables, chairs, or other merchandise.

For foodies, those who love the thrill of finding a ‘secret spot’ that primarily exists through word of mouth, Barbie Crockski Pierogi is a match made in heaven. For those who want more succinct hours to work around, Silver Creek Village Board Trustee Stephen Romanik had this to say of the hours, “I see they’re (Barbie Crockski Pierogi) open Tuesdays through Saturdays mostly.”

The varieties of pierogis available can be found on the storefront sign in two main categories: traditional and specialty. Flavors on the menu include: farmer cheese and potato, farmer cheese, cheddar cheese and potato, jalapeno cheddar and potato, smoked bacon cheddar and potato, sauerkraut and mushroom, sauerkraut, potato and onion, pepperjack and potato, Buffalo wing, ricotta mozzarella, spinach and feta and sweet potato.

Barbie Crockski Pierogi’s many kinds of pierogis can be found at a large number of farmer’s markets and stores all around Western New York, including Redlinski Meats, the Broadway Market, Desalvo’s Meats & Eats, the East Aurora Farmer’s Market (on Saturdays), the East Aurora Co-op, The Deli in East Aurora, the West Seneca Farmer’s Market (on Thursdays), the Lexington Co-op on Elmwood Avenue and Hertel Avenue, Pellicano’s Marketplace, Niagara Sausage, Carl’s Lotto, J&M Convenient, Braymiller Market, The Olive Branch – Batavia and The Side Door Deli.